The historic Bell Rooms building is all that is left at the southwest corner of California and Shasta streets after the Bing's Automotive building was recently torn down. David Benda/Record Searchlight

The former home of Bing's Automotive has been torn down. The McConnell Foundation has reached a deal with the Redding Area Bus Authority to acquire the property that also includes the Bell Rooms building. Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight

A man walks past buildings in downtown Redding at the corner of Shasta and California streets that RABA at one time wanted to tear down to build a parking lot. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight file photo

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall was built in 1888 at the southwest corner of Market and Butte streets. It's the oldest brick building in downtown Redding. The McConnell Foundation purchased the building In November 2018 with plans to determine "the proper use for this space." From McConnell Foundation press release/courtesy of Shasta Historical Society archives

The McConnell Foundation has purchased the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall with plans to preserve its cultural and historical value. The hall is the oldest remaining brick building in downtown Redding although stucco covers most of the bricks. Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight

Kristi Betts of Cottonwood, left, and Maddeline Persson of Sweden attend the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights during a past December at the IOOF Hall in Redding. Jacque Jabs/Special to the Record Searchlight

The McConnell Foundation has purchased the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall with plans to preserve its cultural and historical value. The hall is the oldest remaining brick building in downtown Redding although stucco covers most of the bricks.(Photo: Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight)

Two buildings tied to Redding's past have a new guardian for their preservation.

The McConnell Foundation just purchased the historic Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall in the old Redding mall and is in the process of buying the former Bell Rooms. Not that long ago, the former Bell brothel was in danger of being torn down in favor of a parking lot.

"We are celebrating," McConnell Foundation chief operating officer Shannon Phillips said Tuesday. "These are joyful moments for us and we're excited for downtown."

She said the foundation doesn't have plans for the IOOF hall at this time. Maybe one day the stucco will be removed to reveal its brick construction and the upstairs windows will reappear.

"We knew the building has good bones and a solid structure," Phillips said.

Michele Goedert, the real estate agent who represented the fraternal organization in the sale, agreed everyone involved is happy.

The IOOF Hall sold for $400,000, according to Shasta County property records.

"We could no longer take care of it and haven't had it leased for two years," IOOF member Lee Thomas said. With the sale, Thomas is now the building's former trustee.

The hall's last street-level tenant was a closed-door pharmacy that made compounded medications such as lotions and creams, Thomas said.

He said IOOF members are glad that McConnell will let them continue to use their temple for gatherings on the second-floor, where there's also a dining hall and bathrooms.

"They'll still allow us to use it. It's kind of a win-win situation for us," Thomas said.

The Odd Fellows originated in Europe and fulfilled a workers' compensation role back in the day. For example, when a gold miner died, IOOF would take care of his widow and children. The organization also ran orphanages. Today the group's rituals follow Bible stories and women, known as Rebekahs, are invited along, Thomas said.

What's unique about the three-level building is that, underneath the stucco, it's known as the oldest remaining brick building in downtown Redding.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall was built in 1888 at the southwest corner of Market and Butte streets. It's the oldest brick building in downtown Redding. The McConnell Foundation purchased the building In November 2018 with plans to determine "the proper use for this space."(Photo: From McConnell Foundation press release/courtesy of Shasta Historical Society archives)

The Italianate-style structure was built in 1888 at the southwest corner of Market and Butte streets although Redding Lodge No. 271 itself was established 10 years earlier with 20 charter members, according to Laura Christman who wrote a background for the Shasta Historical Society. Today the chapter has 70 members.

Italianate was a popular commercial-building trend in the 1800s that used bricks in its two-story design. Eves were supported by decorative brackets and window arches were framed with ornamental casings.

This plaque is affixed to the outside of the IOOF Hall in downtown Redding.(Photo: Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight)

That area in the Market Street Promenade is the focus of several redevelopment ventures. The lodge is just west of a mixed-use project being built by K2 Land Development where in May saw the old Dicker's department store reduced to concrete rubble.

Meanwhile, K2, McConnell and the city of Redding were recently approved for two grants there. One for a $4 million grant to replace the nearby California Street parking structure and another for a $20 million affordable housing grant.

Acquiring the IOOF Hall and Bell Rooms fits in with a 10-year commitment by McConnell to bring vitality to downtown Redding, according to foundation president and CEO John Mancasola.

"We feel grateful to have acquired both buildings and look forward to preserving the past and serving the future," Mancasola said in a statement.

The McConnell Foundation is buying the former Bell Rooms building from RABA and intends to turn the former brothel into a downtown bike depot.(Photo: Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight)

Plans for former Bell Rooms

Preservationists will be happy the McConnell Foundation saved the former Bell Rooms from the wrecking ball.

The two-story building at Tehama and California streets dates back to 1908 and later found itself situated in Redding's red-light district near the railroad tracks.

Redding Public Works Director Chuck Aukland said McConnell's purchase price hasn't been determined since the sale is going through escrow.

The price will be whatever's greater: either the property's fair market value or more likely, how much the Redding Area Bus Authority has put into the property, which includes the demolition of Bing's Automotive and a locksmith's shop.

The Shasta Historical Society rallied in 2016 to save the former Bell Rooms transient building from demolition, shown in this archived photo.(Photo: Contributed photo)

"Our goal is to make them completely whole," Phillips said about allowing RABA to get back its investment.

McConnell plans to turn the building and property into a bike depot with a bicycle-friendly café and public plaza.

Across the street, where the Redding police station once stood, McConnell envisions its property there to host pop-up markets as part of California Street Labs.

The foundation paid $685,000 for the former police station in April and had it demolished in August. McConnell recently gave Shasta Living Streets a $125,000 grant and picked the group to carry out the street labs idea.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall is the oldest remaining brick building in downtown Redding.(Photo: Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight)

Stories from the basement

Several stories circulate about the IOOF Hall's basement, particularly one about a ghost whenever Halloween comes around.

The ghost tale isn't widely circulated although the IOOF's Thomas said he's heard about it but not sold on the fable.

"I've heard that story too," he said. "I have had people tell me the same thing."

He's offered to take people to the downstairs storage area, but no one has taken him up on the offer.

"I've never seen a ghost," said Jay Thompson, whose family ran Thompson's Clothing Store for 80 years starting in 1926 at the hall's retail level.

Nonetheless, the basement was an eerie place with its low ceiling and dirt floor.

"It was a scary basement. That was where they kept the male mannequins with a bare light bulb swinging," Thompson said.

Seeing one of the mannequins posed as if he were smoking is one of Thompson's creepier memories.

Thompson wouldn't be surprised if a huge safe still sits in the basement.

"There is no way you could possibly get it out with all of the bricks," he said.

Thomas is tight-lipped about any safe.

"I can't really talk about that. I'm guessing there could be one down there," he said.